Third, everyone knows that it is about time that some sort of forum took place but, are not sure of its purpose; if it would be beneficial or detrimental. I personally took part in one such forum some years back, which was organized by late Mr. Hassan Manik (Maizan) and his friends. Though that was a general arts forum, it was a good start; but it was sad to see no follow ups of such gatherings. Even then, the participants seemed quite confused as to its purpose. There was no preset purpose and was left open for it to evolve – which I liked. Most commercial musicians did not understand what it was going to be and were quite skeptical or naive about it. In the end, it was quite a nice few days – meeting, discussing, sharing and making contacts and it was all about knowing each other and their respective works.
So, the purpose of forums is still confusing to many. But I believe that we do have a purpose. And I find this very interesting. When I talk to most musicians individually, most of the time they have common thoughts. They have common concerns, common difficulties and common issues. But when we meet in a group, there seem to be more disagreements than ever, than agreements. I believe that this is the ideal precursor to a forum.
